CICLOVIDA - EDGARD "GAIO"

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CICLOVIDA:
A proposal for the use of alternative modes of transportation in sustainable tourism and in tourist`s ecological awareness

Paper presented for the International Working Conference "Connecting the agendas: Sustainable Development of Tourism", 2-3 november 2006, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Professor Edgard Antunes Dias Batista, master in Social Communication, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil

Introduction
The use of alternative modes of transportation in sustainable tourism is the major goal of the Ciclovida (www.ciclovida.com.br), a project that intend to use the tourism as a tool to create environmental awareness in tourist`s around the world.
To explain what Ciclovida deeply means it´s necessary a brief history of my personal relations with environmental issues. It came from my parents. They teached me the most important lesson of all: to love nature and the planet that we live. We did lot´s of trips togheter, always deep in contact with nature in camping, trekking and other outdoor sports. The major trip that we did was a round trip to Alaska in a four whell drive pickup, studing all the National Parks in the way. We call that expedition "Operação ECO" (ECO Operation: www.provale.com.br/operacaoeco), and it helps me to decide that I need to do something to help the environment in the world and specifically in my country, Brazil, that have huge ecological and social problems to solve.
After that large trip by car, I started to do bike trips by myself, mostly in the brazilian coastline. I did more than half of brazilian 8.000 Km coastline by bike, and I started to realize that the bycicle is one of the most perfects ways of transport, either to the day-by-day use in cities as to large trips. Then my personal goal become to be to show people how it is possible to change their lifestyles to a more nature friendly. And the tourism is a perfect way to do that. Then Ciclovida was born.

The brazilian context
Brazil have a huge lack of professionals and a gap in the development in the area of sustainable tourism. In a country of continental size, with many kinds of ecosystems like the Amazon Jungle, the Pantanal, more than 8.000 Kms of tropical coastline, a friendly people with influences of several cultures, we have a very small amount of foreign tourists, close to 5 millions per year, almost the same as Uruguay. And tourism can help with the sustainable development of the small communities that lives close to nature, bringing tourists with a high sense of ecological and cultural responsibility, beyond the incomes.

The Ciclovida`s proposal
The influence of alternative ways of transport (trekking, cycling, sailing, horse riding, etc) in the whole perception of the tourist`s experience and the relations of that with the environment, the ecology and the sustainable development of small communities is the proposal of Ciclovida`s project. The use of these ecological modes of transportation beyond a different and interesting way of visit a place, is excellent for introduce ecological matters for the tourists. The tourists looking for real different experiences will have a new point of view of nature, the planet that we lives and where is so important to protect the environment, and of their own ways of life. A better way to help change the world is changing our own world. As said by Robert M. Pirsig: "I think that if we are going to reform the world, and make it a better place to live in, the way to do it is not with talk about relationships of a political nature, (...) or with programs full of things for other people to do. (...) Programs of a political nature are important end products of social quality that can be effective only if the underlying structure of social values is right. The social values are right only if the individual values are right. The place to improve the world is first in one´s own heart and head and hands, and then work outward from there" (PIRSIG, 1974, p. 267). Thus, the purpose of tourism itself is even more important than just economic growth if you can show the people that to use environmental friendly transports is a good way to change their life styles and help the planet.
Besides ecological matters, there are several another changes that it brings, as the new perceptions of time and space, because with this ways of locomotion we are in a speed closer to the human senses, to our perception of smells, sounds, colors, and even closer to the people of the different regions that we visit. This is another important point to highlight, because in this kind of trip the contact with small communities, that ones living closer to nature, is an fundamental matter.

Conclusion
In a world with lots of problems caused by the way of life that gives more importance to the money than to the peoples, a world of consumption, sedentary lifes and the related health problems, high speed, individualism, pollution, etc. the simple use of a bike instead a car is a good manner to educate people about subjects as global warming, pollution, ozone layer, petroleum wars, etc. There are civil society movements in that direction, like the Critical Mass, that support the use of bicicles (CRITICAL MASS, 2006). Also the governments starts to be concerned about this subjects: the 22th of september of 2006, for instance, was the International Car Free Day, a worldwide campaign of education with the participation of many cities (MOBILITY WEEK, 2006). Our everyday problems can be solved if we changes small routines, using more bikes, walking more, recycling the trash, having more healthy habits, more sports, more healthy food. And the tourism can help deeply in this fundamental goal!

Bibliographical References
CRITICAL MASS. http://www.critical-mass.org, 2006.

MOBILITY WEEK. http://www.mobilityweek-europe.org, 2006.

PIRSIG, Robert M. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. London: Corgi Books, 1974.

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